Design Spotlight - Pierre Paulin April 12 2016

"One expects from a designer a practical object with, if possible, a touch of poetry and elegance."

Born in Paris in 1927, French designer Pierre Paulin studied stone carving and clay modelling at the École Camondo in Paris in the early 1950s.

1953 saw a young Pierre Paulin make a big splash at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in Paris. The following year, in 1954, he began designing for Thonet-France. It was during this time, working with Thonet, that he designed the iconic model CM141 Desk (1954), one of the masterpieces of their collaboration.

Pierre Paulin for Thonet Model CM141 Desk, 1954, France

The rectilinear, functionalist design of the CM141 desk is a direct descent from the Bauhaus movement and is a fascinating contrast to Paulin's later work in the late 1950s and 1960s, which was sensuously organic in comparison.

Pierre Paulin for Artifort Model F545 Chair, 1961, France

He is perhaps best known for his collaboration with the Dutch company Artifort, which began in 1958 and lasted approximately half a century. This relationship resulted in several iconic pieces, including his famed F545 Tulip Chair designed in 1961.